New Retron 1 HD Out...

[0078265317]

http://wwg.com/2017/05/08/nes-retron-console-makes-the-nes-mini-death-more-tolerable/

 

New redesign to look like original NES. Thoughts...

[godslabrat]

It's a lame NOAC with a $9 composite->hdmi converter slapped on it. Nothing new here.

[0078265317]

yes but the design is cool. Most look plain and boring.

[godslabrat]

Well, it's kinda spiffy, I'll give it that. But it does make me picture the result of a steam box, an NES, and bottle of schnapps.

[BillLoguidice]

It's a lame NOAC with a $9 composite->hdmi converter slapped on it. Nothing new here.

 

I get that it's a NOAC, but are you sure about the converter part? I would assume that would make the HDMI output piss-poor based on past experience.

[ApolloBoy]

I get that it's a NOAC, but are you sure about the converter part?

Considering it's $40 I'd say so.

[godslabrat]

Considering it's $40 I'd say so.

Exactly. There's no way they're putting anything better in there at that price point. And if it's anything like the GamerzTek HDMI NES, it's going to be garbage output. At this point, you're better off getting an analog clone and slapping it onto the analog ports of your HDTV (if it has them). The end result will at least be slightly better.

 

I can't believe that we've been seeing clone hardware be popular for almost a decade now, and we're still having to deal with bottom feeder equipment. Hyperkin in particular seems to be really bad about putting sizzle before quality.

Edited May 9, 2017 by godslabrat

[Flojomojo]

That page posted by 8675309 blocks adblockers, so I'm not reading it. Here's the link to buy it from Amazon, and the manufacturer is answering questions about it. Available later this month.

 

Looks nice enough, and the price/features bode well for the AtGames SEGA offering later this year. Performance and compatibility matter, so I'd wait for someone to review it before getting one. I am over cartridges and controller cables so this isn't for me.

[ApolloBoy]

That page posted by 8675309

LOL

[godslabrat]

ill wait for reviews too. Honestly, if this thing worked as advertised, this plus a multicart would not be a terrible substitute for a mini. My problem is, I highly doubt that we'll see anything but a really bad NOAC, and the upscaled video is a giant red flag.

 

I would actually have preferred something like a single-slot Retron5.

[Tanooki]

That page posted by 8675309 blocks adblockers, so I'm not reading it. Here's the link to buy it from Amazon, and the manufacturer is answering questions about it. Available later this month.

 

 

Thanks. Bitdefender threw a fit on that one too. I often enough get that shitty site linked off some other location and 100% of the time it spits out multiple virus warnings bitdefender has to block, and before I swtiched to them avast was pissed at it too. Why people keep linking that crap site is mind blowing. I'd write it off as one AV being spiteful, but two? I'd not call that so much a coincidence.

 

It looks interesting, but I'm more on the whole why bother with it. NOAC's are always problematic vs even their R5 emulation setup keeping it in house (and RetroFreak is a hair better than theirs too.) If I had to choose between that NOAC or just putting my top loader (RCA + Stereo modded) back on the TV I'd use that.

 

But is it that?

 

I know some of you here are aware and if not you will be now, Innex (ie: Retro-Bit) has another emulation handheld coming too, one that just only does all things Gameboy (DMG+GBC+AGB) Super Retro Boy. Who's to say this isn't another gimped stand alone box to make more money and it's just another gutted R5 (ie calling it the Retron 1) that just does NES? Odds are though with what Amazon said I'd think are 50/50 it goes either way. If it were emulated, why would it need a NTSC/PAL switch on the bottom of the unit?

 

I've been strongly considering selling my almost unused R5 unit and getting a tiny power adapter splitter due to the huge AC cubes the NES/SNES use and putting them back on the TV instead.

[Bill Loguidice]

 

Thanks. Bitdefender threw a fit on that one too. I often enough get that shitty site linked off some other location and 100% of the time it spits out multiple virus warnings bitdefender has to block, and before I swtiched to them avast was pissed at it too. Why people keep linking that crap site is mind blowing. I'd write it off as one AV being spiteful, but two? I'd not call that so much a coincidence.

 

It looks interesting, but I'm more on the whole why bother with it. NOAC's are always problematic vs even their R5 emulation setup keeping it in house (and RetroFreak is a hair better than theirs too.) If I had to choose between that NOAC or just putting my top loader (RCA + Stereo modded) back on the TV I'd use that.

 

But is it that?

 

I know some of you here are aware and if not you will be now, Innex (ie: Retro-Bit) has another emulation handheld coming too, one that just only does all things Gameboy (DMG+GBC+AGB) Super Retro Boy. Who's to say this isn't another gimped stand alone box to make more money and it's just another gutted R5 (ie calling it the Retron 1) that just does NES? Odds are though with what Amazon said I'd think are 50/50 it goes either way. If it were emulated, why would it need a NTSC/PAL switch on the bottom of the unit?

 

I've been strongly considering selling my almost unused R5 unit and getting a tiny power adapter splitter due to the huge AC cubes the NES/SNES use and putting them back on the TV instead.

 

I have additional confirmation that the Retron 1 is a NOAC and is using a scaler to achieve HD. The only thing we don't know yet is the quality of the HD scaling, but, considering it's upscaling a composite signal and even an XRGB-mini can't do much with such a low quality source, I would expect a pretty poor final image. Frankly, as was stated by others earlier, this can't be a gutted RetroN 5, because you can't really do an Android-based system for quite that cheap, at least this year, and I don't believe that type of setup can easily support composite.

 

We'll see about the Innex stuff.

 

As for the RetroN 5, I don't use mine either, but it's because I have the Retro Freak moreso than any other reason.

[Tanooki]

Well thanks for clearing that up, and allowing me to write it off as garbage. You're right, a signal that rotten you can't do too much to improve it going up to HDMI.

 

As to the R5, my desire for a RetroFreak and just being fairly busy with other systems now has soured me on it. I went through a launch one and 2 turds they re-sent me when it had problems and ended up with one of the first off the line of the current model in black. I've probably put 10-20 hours at best on it because I lost interest and started using my original systems and handhelds instead. I then saw the RF and preferred how it didn't do CRC check garbage, could dump the carts if I so desired, and other parallel(to R5) and unique stuff it handles and it won me over. I just haven't found one yet with the NES+Controller adapter in a package to go for it.

 

And i do agree, it's a we'll see on the Innex stuff because Retro-Bit really isn't very good (hit and miss) quality wise on what they put out. I find it a tad bit alarming they drop the news on it in January, blow off people complaining the GBA mode cuts off the left/right side of the screen which is glaring in F-Zero Advance, and then go silent ever since with no updates about it. They also had that Jaleco deal for a GB and NES multicart, no news there either, and I would have put the $20 up for the GB cart as the variety is solid.

[godslabrat]

 

And i do agree, it's a we'll see on the Innex stuff because Retro-Bit really isn't very good (hit and miss) quality wise on what they put out. I find it a tad bit alarming they drop the news on it in January, blow off people complaining the GBA mode cuts off the left/right side of the screen which is glaring in F-Zero Advance, and then go silent ever since with no updates about it. They also had that Jaleco deal for a GB and NES multicart, no news there either, and I would have put the $20 up for the GB cart as the variety is solid.

 

I blame this on the traditional gaming news cycle. SRB was announced at CES, which is at the beginning of the year. It's going to be a holiday product, but there's no reason to promote it very much until E3 season. Reto-bit doesn't have a booth at e3, but it would still be a good time to reveal more, since the launch is scheduled for August.

 

I'm concerned about the quality and the screen, but I have no *particular* reason to be concerned about the photos shown of the demo unit-- that was obviously an early prototype.The type of screen needed to pull off the three different resolutions won't be easily sourced, so they probably made do. Of course, that just means that it could be screwed up in new and exciting ways.

 

Hopefully, Retro-Bit learned their lesson from the RBG last year-- don't sacrifice quality to meet a deadline.

[Flojomojo]

Whoa, that's three months away now. I hope they fixed it.

[Tanooki]

Exactly we're months out, and if they stuck with the proto that leaves a question. What will be compromised? Cut off GBA games which to anyone with a brain should be an instant write off, or do they pillarbox the GB/GBC stuff and blow it up or black border it all around, or even allow SuperGB borders to splash? To me what they do with that screen going by the hope they didn't do a usual cut the corner elsewhere (some games fail, audio is a bit off, shitty d-pad that detects 3+directions at the same time like Supaboy/Retrobit handheld) will make or break it.

[Flojomojo]

E3 expo starts on June 12th. If they have something to show, we will see it covered there, ideally by someone who knows what they're talking about. GBA has been dead for over a decade so the "journalism" coverage might not be so good -- if so, we will again be relying on camera feeds, which should tell us if they at least fixed the screen aspect ratio!

[godslabrat]

Exactly we're months out, and if they stuck with the proto that leaves a question. What will be compromised? Cut off GBA games which to anyone with a brain should be an instant write off, or do they pillarbox the GB/GBC stuff and blow it up or black border it all around, or even allow SuperGB borders to splash? To me what they do with that screen going by the hope they didn't do a usual cut the corner elsewhere (some games fail, audio is a bit off, shitty d-pad that detects 3+directions at the same time like Supaboy/Retrobit handheld) will make or break it.

 

My personal hope is that they use an extremely high-res screen that can pillar- and letter-box the ratios as needed. Trying to use a screen too close to the native resolution will be a reason to crop, squash, and distort the output. That would be bad.

 

If there is a "fill" mode, I hope it can be turned off easily and left off by default.

[Tanooki]

I could see going with that. The GBASP for one as we all know had that whole fill or not mode. If they just lazily copied that it would be fine really.

[Great Hierophant]

I don't see this device as being any better than the Gamerz-Tek 8-bit HD. Here is a breakdown showing the NOAC and the HDMI converter :

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/260114-teardown-of-gamerz-tek-8-bit-hd/

[Tanooki]

You know seeing that all this stuff gets imported from the HK/China area there's a fair chance it's probably the same thing. Perhaps the board a little different to fit a form factor, but odds are the guts probably unless they change/fix something (like noted in your link that little fix job bunnyboy pointed out Dec 2016.) They all have their own label but farm from the same sources and if it's just another ghetto NOAC with a cheap signal being farted out over an HDMI plug for a modern tv it'll have the same issues going on there too.

[homerhomer]

If only they could just take a little more time with QA testing and tried to make someting nice. But for $40 I don't see that happening. Hope I'm wrong.

[PikoInteractive]

Gamertek, Yobo, Hyperking, everybody basically uses the same factories and rebrand their console. I can get that Retron 1 with a different case and color and custom packaging done if I order 1-2K units.

 

So it will be the same solution (NOAC + internal scaling adapter) for everybody.

Costs about 12 bucks to add that solution to any clone console.

[Great Hierophant]

Gamertek, Yobo, Hyperking, everybody basically uses the same factories and rebrand their console. I can get that Retron 1 with a different case and color and custom packaging done if I order 1-2K units.

 

So it will be the same solution (NOAC + internal scaling adapter) for everybody.

 

Costs about 12 bucks to add that solution to any clone console.

When the console is being sold for $40, there seems to be rather a small profit margin once you take away $12 additional dollars in product cost.

[PikoInteractive]

When the console is being sold for $40, there seems to be rather a small profit margin once you take away $12 additional dollars in product cost.

Anything NOAC costs about 4-6 bucks fully packaged in the quantities they buy. So 16-20, they sell it for like 23-28, etc.

 

These are just approximate numbers, the converted might be cheaper. But should give you a general idea.